Phil Davis draws Rashad Evans at UFC on FOX 2

When Phil Davis attempts to push his perfect record to double-digits he will apparently do so against a former light heavyweight champion in his prime, Rashad Evans. Though the two had been rumored for fight dating back to this past August when they were matched up at UFC 133, it looks like the scrap now has substance with the bout allegedly being scheduled for January 28 as the headliner at UFC on FOX 2.

The 9-0 Davis only stepped foot inside the Octagon a single time in 2010, beating Antonio Rogerio Nogueira last March, and saw the bulk of his year go out the door after injuring his knee leading up to the bout with Evans. A former NCAA wrestling stand-out, the 27-year old Davis also holds past wins over Alexander Gustafsson and Brian Stann.

“Suga” ‘Shad has a far bigger prize in mind than pushing his record to a certain plateau, as Evans has been frothing at the bit for a title-shot after seeing a handful of opportunities go out the window for health-related reasons. At 16-1-1, Evans is considered to be one of the top 205ers in MMA and is currently on a three-fight winning streak with success against Thiago Silva, Quinton Jackson, and most recently Tito Ortiz.

MMATraining Take: This match-up being made was only a matter of time with the rest of the light heavyweight division already being tied up in bouts over the next few months. A win for Evans will solidify his contendership, possibly even pushing him past Dan Henderson depending on how “Hendo” heals up from his fight with Mauricio Rua, while falling to a guy like Rashad wouldn’t be a bad way for Davis to pick up his first defeat. Likewise, a win for “Mr. Wonderful” would be huge for his career and the buzz it would create would minimalize the damage to Evans’ reputation.

[...] having earned a submission victory over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. He was scheduled to meet Rashad Evans, but Evans was forced to pull out of the planned bout due to a hand injury. Instead, “Bones” [...]